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December 21, 2016

Gingrich says Trump can’t be expected to follow ethics laws, so Congress should change them for him

https://thinkprogress.org/gingrich-trump-ethics-laws-conflicts-of-interest-kleoptocracy-17d500c1d6c6#.6c28toak2
"During a Monday appearance on NPR, Trump adviser Newt Gingrich argued that Congress should consider changing ethics laws so President-elect Donald Trump could freely mix his administration and his business interests. “We’ve never seen this kind of wealth in the White House, and so traditional rules don’t work,” Gingrich said during a panel discussion on “The Diane Rehm Show.” “We’re going to have to think up a whole new approach.” The “new approach” Gingrich has in mind also involves Trump liberally using his pardon powers to extract his advisers — including, at least during the presidential transition, three of his adult children — from whatever legal troubles they might find themselves in. “In the case of the president, he has a broad ability to organize the White House the way he wants to. He also has, frankly, the power of the pardon,” Gingrich said, in comments first covered by Politico. “It’s a totally open power. He could simply say, ‘Look, I want them to be my advisers. I pardon them if anyone finds them to have behaved against the rules. Period.’ Technically, under the Constitution, he has that level of authority.” Gingrich suggested Congress should consider changing ethics laws so Trump can freely intermingle his business interests and duties as president."